Quote by William James

Habit is thus the enormous fly-wheel of society, its most precious conservative agent. It alone is what keeps us all within the bounds of ordinance, and saves the children of fortune from the envious uprisings of the poor.

Habit is thus the enormous fly-wheel of society, its most pr

Summary

This quote emphasizes the power and importance of habit in maintaining societal order and stability. It suggests that habits act as a "fly-wheel," or a large rotating wheel, that keeps society functioning smoothly. Habits provide a sense of continuity and familiarity that keeps individuals and communities within the established rules and norms. By doing so, they prevent envy and social unrest by ensuring that those born into privileged positions are not threatened by those less fortunate. Thus, habits are seen as a valuable conservative force that helps preserve existing social hierarchies and prevent upheavals.

Topics

Habits

By William James

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

If that thise men that lovers hem pretende, To women weren f

If that thise men that lovers hem pretende, To women weren feythfull good and trewe, And dreden hem to deceyven or offende, Women, to love hem, wolde nat eschewe; But every day hath man an herte newe: Yt, upon oon, abide can no while. What fore ys it, swich a wight to be-gile?

Men Love Women Man

Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only

Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy.

Insanity

Middle Age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two

Middle Age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two voices calling us, one saying, Why not? and the other, Why bother?

Sydney J. Harris

Age

Men who think that a woman's past love affairs lessen her lo

Men who think that a woman's past love affairs lessen her love for them are usually stupid and weak.

Alone, I often fall down into nothingness. I must push my fo

Alone, I often fall down into nothingness. I must push my foot stealthily lest I should fall off the edge of the world into nothingness. I have to bang my head against some hard door to call myself back to the body.

Alone Empty Emptyness Nothingness

The less people think the more they talk.

The less people think the more they talk.

Speeches (oratory)

I wanted to be a dancer my whole life. And when I gave it up

I wanted to be a dancer my whole life. And when I gave it up to act, I always had a really sad part of myself that missed it and missed performing and missed being physical in that way.

Sad

A good conversationalist is not one who remembers what was s

A good conversationalist is not one who remembers what was said, but says what someone wants to remember.

John Mason Brown

Conversation

Blessed are they who heal us of self-despising. Of all servi

Blessed are they who heal us of self-despising. Of all services which can be done to man, I know of none more precious.

William Hale White

Self Respect

Once I started working with generative music in the 1970s, I

Once I started working with generative music in the 1970s, I was flirting with ideas of making a kind of endless music - not like a record that you'd put on, which would play for a while and finish.

Music

He belonged to that army known as invincible in peace, invis

He belonged to that army known as invincible in peace, invisible in war.

William Tecumseh Sherman

Peace

Simply that we are mirroring the trends in society, at any g

Simply that we are mirroring the trends in society, at any given time smuggling was an issue in the seventies, corruption is an issue today, and we faithfully reflect those issues.

Society